Nuclear Iran Renews its Uranium Enrichment Program

If the United States Government believed that the Iranian general election on June 14th would result in a change in attitude regarding its relations with the West, they are obviously mistaken. Three days ago, Iran’s nuclear program began at full speed with renewed production of its uranium enrichment program.

Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was put into operation three days ago. The nation’s nuclear energy chief, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, said that Iran will maintain its efforts to become a nuclear nation, but that the research and development is for peaceful purposes. He claims the purpose is nuclear powered energy plants, and the production of radioisotopes.

“According to these two goals, we maintain our plans to produce nuclear energy and fuel, as well as the enrichment of uranium to provide fuel for the reactors,” he said

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, (AEOI), added that Iran’s controversial underground Fordow facility, which the West wants Tehran to close, will remain operational.

The power plant, which reopened on June 25th, needed some rework. It had been completed with the assistance of Russia.

“Bushehr needed some technical inspections and testing, which we performed a couple of months ago,” Abbasi-Davani is cited as saying by RIA-Novosti. “Three days ago, Bushehr was put into operation at the capacity of 1,000 megawatts. And, fortunately, I didn’t get reports of any failures in its work.”

“The Russian side of the project now must carry out some more tests before the station will be formally transferred to Iran’s operation,” he added.

They plan to install three new power generating units at Bushehr, and will have completed the first civilian nuclear power plant in the Mideast.

Hassan Rouhani, the new President of Iran, is a proponent of the country’s nuclear program.

“Our nuclear programs are completely transparent,” he said. “But we are ready to show greater transparency and make clear for the whole world that the steps of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely within international frameworks.”

Rouhani was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005.

The United States sought and received sanctions by the United Nations because Iran refused to cease production of nuclear sites and material. There may be a new president, who is less belligerent than the last, but it’s the same old Iran. The Theocratic country has renewed its uranium enrichment program, and still believe that the sanctions against the country should be removed.